After the Rapture
by shevlin912
Summary: Wondering what happened after Lucinda and Daniel meet at college? Well wonder no longer. Here will be a tale of the early moments of their new love blossoming and the challenges that come with being mortal and in college. Will their love be able to last now as it had for the length of time or will they have made the wrong choice?


Chapter One

Daniel sat down next to Luce making her feel like she really couldn't breath. He was so beautiful. Luce started feeling more comfortable the more they talked. Once they got over the hi and my name is, it was like they just fit. He had turned so he was comfortably looking at the side of Luce's body. Luce was hanging on to the side of the bench like she would fall if she didn't. Of course, Luce would glance at him every once in a while. Than something changed. Daniel had been asking her little things, like her favorite places, where she grew up, favorite color, what her parents are like. During all this Luce realized she had turned so, she too was facing Daniel. Talking to him was like breathing for Luce, she was doing it without even knowing. Luce's phone start vibrating. It was Nora, hmmm.

"That's my roommate I should probably go in. But it was wonderful talking to you Daniel." Luce said as she swing her other leg over the bench as she was getting ready to leave. All the sudden his hand had to reach out to hers, he couldn't let her leave at least not yet. Luce looked down to her hand then to Daniels beautiful violet eyes.

"I would love to do this again sometimes, maybe over dinner?" Inside all Luce could do was squeal, but managed to nod yes. "Can I have your number, so I can text you?"

"Yea" I squealed Luce, "Can I see your phone." He handed her his and she handed him hers.

But as he was taking his back Daniel rose Luce hand to his lips, lightly as the breeze that was blowing around the night sky, kissed her hand. Again squealing. Luce couldn't wait to tell Nora all about it. All of it. She started to turn away towered her door and then, "Can I walk you to your door, Luce?" it was like singing instead of talking and all she could manage was a nod. Than there was Daniel walking Luce threw the glass lobby door, than to the elevator, finally to her room. She knew that Nora was on the other side of their peep whole probably jumping up and down. "Well I'll see you later Luce." Daniel said before he turned to walk back to the elevator. "Cant wait."

Luce started watching him walk away, than the door she was leaning on opened. Crash. "OWWWW" "Get in here. Like now and tell me what th you are doing with Daniel Gorgan?" Nora yelled under her breath as she pulled Luce into the room.

"Umm, we were just talking." Luce said as she walked to her extra high bed. It was on the right side of the room with her favorite purple and white comforter on it. Luce had to climb into her bed which was really tall so that there was room for a small dresser with her clothes in it. Her yellow laundry basket and mini fridge. She grabbed her pillow as Nora climbed up next to her. Than Luce started to babel, " Why does he have a girlfriend or something? Please tell me hes not a player like Max. He was so sweet and wonderful, every time I looked at him I felt like I would explode. And UMMMMAMDM" Nora had put her hand straight over Luce mouth.

" No he does not have a girlfriend, I don't know if he is like Max but I would highly do not think so. Word on the street is he is captain of the varsity swim team. He is majoring in Biology of some kind and Theology. Hardly ever dates. Much to the female populous on campus dismay because lets face it hes amazing HOT." Luce had listen to every word of what Nora had said.

Then very quietly said " I think he asked me out?!"

"WHAT!"

"Shhhh the whole building will hear you."

"OK your right this needs two thing before you tell me every little detail about what happened in the court yard. We need pop, popcorn and a movie. Ill pick the movie and get soda, you popcorn. If you can come back down to earth to handle it." Nora said flipping thru her movie collection.

They both let out a giggle. Nora put a movie into the flat screen/blue ray player she had mounted on her side of the room which look like several paint cans had exploded. Compared to Luce much more conservative side. Luce grabbed a bag of popcorn and went to the microwave.

"Hey", she said as she walked back into their room "I didn't burn it this time."

"Great now your bed and start talking." Luce put the popcorn on her desk the changed into her favorite red plaid pajamas. "Well I had gone to get some air. . . .. " Luce then plunged into what had happened with Daniel and Nora wouldn't let her leave anything out. By the time the movie was over and popcorn was gone they had decided two things. First tomorrow Nora was going to learn from her large group of friends everything she could about Daniel Gordon. Second that Luce was so going to be going on a date with him. Luce decided to email her mom and dad. Before she went to bed. She had told them she would email at least twice a week and call as often as she could.

Hey Mom and Dad,

Well second week has been great. I've figured out the washer and dryer in the laundry room. My roommate Nora is great and she even has a retainer. I don't start classes for another week but I think that I have a good feeling of the campus now and shouldn't have any issues finding my classes. I even went to my first party. Don''t worry there was only pizza and soda but it was fun. Oh and I met this guy, his name Daniel and I have my first date. I am excited. Mom tell Dad he does not need to come up here and to remember about his blood pressure. He seems really nice and I will let you all know how it goes. We may need to talk about my laundry and food budget tho.

Love you both

Lu

After hitting send Nora was in her bed that almost glowed in the dark and Luce crawled under her blankets. They still smelled like her room at home, she loved the smell of her fathers roses. Feeling kinda home sick Luce snuggled down to watch the movie once more and fell to sleep. That was the first night she dreamed of Daniel. The were above water some where and the wind was whipping her face but she felt warm. The first thing she felt was two very strong arms. They were solid and warm, they made Luce feel like home. She looked down and they were tan and buff. She could here something, it sounded like wings. WINGS. She looked up to see the most beautiful glowing, white, enormous wings. They were amazing the moon light shining off of them was beautiful, intoxicating. Then something was whispered in her ear. "I will always find you." Luce knew that voice but just couldn't quite place it, and when she tried to see the face attached to those amazing wings it was to dark. The only part she could see was the beautiful golden hair. It almost looked like a halo. Luce could feel the warmth between her and this ANGEL. OMG she was flying with an angel.

"LUCE LUCE, Oh will you wake up! There are flowers for you."

Luce started rubbing the sleep out of her and taking her retainer out.

"OMG Luce wake up!" Nora was literally jumping on her.

"OK OK I am up. Now get off me and tell me what is going on?"

"Look at your desk"

Luce sat up still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and there they were two dozen beautifully white and fully bloomed peonies, just like the ones her and Daniel had been sitting by the night before. Luce was dumb struck. Where as Nora was jumping up and down up and down. Screaming.

"Do you even know what it means to get flowers from an amazing guy like Daniel Gordon the next morning after meeting him?"

Luce had now sat up and crawled to her flowers sitting on the desk at the end of her bed. They smelled heavenly. All she could think about was Daniel and those flowers.

"Luce Luce have you even been listening." Nora was standing fully clothed, hair and make up done staring at Luce.

"Ummm no" she said with a smile.

"Well for the love of Audrey Hepburn, will you get up and get ready. I'll tell you what I have dug up while you have been sleeping."

Luce got up and started looking for the right thing to wear. She found her favorite pair of wholly jeans and a black t-shirt. She went to the small bath room the shared and ran a brush threw her long black hair. It was almost to her waist before she decided to cut it for a new look for college. It was still long going to the center of her back. She looked at herself in the mirror she still looked like Lucinda but something was different.

"You need make up." came over her shoulder.

She did her normal routine little eyeshadow, some foundation, little liner and mascara.

"How do I look?"

Nora looked her up and down twice than nodded. "ya, I like the whole not trying thing on you. Not a lot of girls can actually pull it off, but you've got it nailed. Lets go and I'll tell you all you need to know."

On the way across campus to the mess hall for breakfast Nora filled Luce on all she would ever need to know about Daniel. According to Nora Daniel didn't date, at least not really. He had dated one or two casually last year and the same his freshman year. But definitely nothing serious. He was really good at swimming and got amazing grades. Oh and to add the cherry as Nora put it his family loaded. But all Luce could think of was those white peonies. "Are you listening to a word I am telling you?"

Luce snapped back to reality. They were almost to the mess hall and she wasn't even a little hungry. " Yep he's PERFECTION."

"Good there for a second I thought you weren't hearing me." Nora grabbed Luce by the arm dragging her to a stop.

Luce didn't know what was going on with Nora other than she was acting like a crazy person. It was a gorgeous fall morning. The birds were chirping, there was a lite carpet of due on the ground. The sun was in rays and the sky was a perfect blue. There were little groups of students walking to breakfast. The smell of fresh bacon and pancakes. Mixed with warm maple syrup. Some students just arriving from summer break and meeting up with friends. There was a little breeze making the trees and weeping willows look like they were dancing slowly to a beat only the earth could hear. It made Luce think this must be what Heaven like. Her mind started to wonder back to the dream the night before. The way those arms felt around her and the wind threw her hair. The way everything was perfect and so warm. That glow of white and violet. The way that it all for some weird reason reminded her of Daniel.

"Luce. Earth to Luce." Nora was waving her hand in front of Luce face.

"Hmmm, What? Sorry."

" I was saying that look who is over there look straight at you." Luce fallowed Nora's gaze.

"Ohhhhh!" That's all she could get out. There he was in perfect golden, tall, perfection. As soon as their eyes met every thing went away. Luce didn't really even notice Nora dragging her to the mess hall. When they got to the mess hall Jordan and Hailey had already found a table and sat down. They waved for them to come join. Both Luce and Nora nodded while getting in line for food. Even thou Luce didn't originally think she was hungry as soon as she saw scrabbled eggs and fresh bacon her stomach rumbled. As the two girls skedaddle down the line Nora's head kept popping up and looking around.

"What are you looking for?" Luce finally asked as she was sliding her key card thru the card machine.

"That!" She pointed over by the table where Jordan and Hailey were sitting dumbfounded by the simple fact Daniel was speaking to them. He was just standing there his shoulder were relaxed and he was leaning against the booth the girls sat in. But it was all the girls needed to thrown into a giggling mess.

"We should go save them." Nora said as she elbowed Luce to the table.

As soon as Luce started walking Daniels violet eyes found hers. His face had this lazy grin on it which made Luce body feel like it was melting. Luckily Nora was right there to push her into the booth. Daniel hadn't moved from his place where he was still lazily leaning against the booth. "Hi." All Luce could feel was the heat moving up to her cheeks.

"Hi." Luce said so softly she was sure he couldn't hear it. "Thank you for the flowers by the way. They are beautiful." She added quickly.

"I'm glad that you liked them. After breakfast would you like to meet me outside and we can go take a walk." "Absolutely" All four girls said at once. With another lazy grin he walked away leaving the girls asking Luce fifty questions at once and all she could do was watch he walk away. The first voice that broke thou Luce thoughts was Hailey.

"I just can't believe it of all the girls on campus not only does he pick a freshman but Luce. No offense Luce but you are so quite and don't seem to be into parties. I just don't get it"

Jordan butted in "Don't listen to her Luce she is A: Jealous and B: Did you ever think Hailey that might be why Mr. Steamy is into her."

"Well I still just don't get it." Hailey said mopping and playing with her eggs.

During everything all Luce could do was think of Daniel, of the flowers and how fast this was all happening.

"Nora do you think that maybe this is all happening to fast?" Jordan, Hailey, and Nora just looked at Luce with her little face looking at her eggs.

"Oh Luce, of course not. I mean yeah but he is really into you." Said Nora trying to make her feel better. While throwing what's wrong with you look at Hailey.

" I mean it might be but maybe she right. He likes you and sometimes you just have to hang on for the ride. Don't you listen to one word Hailey says she's just jealous cause last year she even joined the swim team trying to get him to even look at her. As you can tell it never happened." Jordan just smile and bated her eyes at Hailey. Who had gotten up and left the table.

" I think I am gonna go for a swim. Is there a way to get out of here beside the front door. I really need to think." Nora took one look at Luce she was white as a sheet.

"Of course sweetie just come with me. Ill sneak you right over to the dorm room then the pool. Come on." Nora took Luce hand and took her right out the back of the mess hall.

Daniel saw Luce friend storm out of the mess hall but when he looked back at her table Luce wasn't there. He really didn't get it, maybe he had come on just to strong. But she didn't seem to mind this morning. He started to walk back to his dorm which was the in the same dorm building as Luce, just on the other side of the building. He took the stairs he just didn't like elevators for some reason. He got to the second floor and took a left sliding his card til he heard the click. What was he gonna do. He had dreamed of her the night before. Them together lying on a rock using the sun to dry off after a race. They had been swimming and now they were just laying there in the bright sun letting it warm them from the outside in. They talked like they had known each other forever. Before the dive he had slipped a single white peonies behind her ear. He had woken up smiling from ear to ear. He had called the florist right away and told them the delivery. He hadn't even thought that it would be to much or to fast. God he was confused. He didn't date and there was a reason for it. With out thinking he had grabbed his swim bag and started heading to the pool. It wasn't that there weren't enough cute girls on the campus to stare at and even maybe sleep with but that just wasn't what he was looking for. His parents were high school sweethearts and he always felt like there was a half of him somewhere in the world. He just had to find it. Which was part of the reason he came all this way from California to go to college and because his mom couldn't join the PTA or find a way to check up on him constantly. The other reason is he wanted to find a girl who wanted him for him, not what he would inherent or the allowance he was given every month. Which he had done well hiding the his freshman year. Well at least until his mother decided the pool needed to be updated, and donated the money for the endeavor. Just the thought made Daniel grown . When he had gotten home for the summer he had a long conservation with her and his father about how he need to be left alone to find out who he was and what he wanted without a bunch of people being his friends only because of money. The most expensive prep school had been torture enough. By the end of the conservation they had all agreed but the damage was done.

By the time he came out of his head he was at the pool and in the men shower room changing into his suite. He walked out to the pool to be surprised. There was Luce. She had just dove into the pool and was doing a very graceful and beautifully done butterfly stroke. All he could do was watch for a few moments then went in him self. Letting his muscles gild him threw the water. He loved swimming he didn't have to think about anything just feeling the water slid over his skin. He didn't even know how many laps he had done. Going from end to end, twisting and pushing at each end. When he did come up there was Luce sitting on the side of the pool the next lane over with just her long tan legs in the water.

"Are you fallowing me now Daniel Grodon?" Luce said quietly and sweetly. He lifted his self out of the water sitting on the edge of the pool and taking his goggles off. He took a moment before answering her.

"Fallowing you no. I guess we just have the same ideas a lot. " He said chuckling to himself. "You like to swim too?"

" Well yeah, I am here on a partial scholarship for swimming. I just like to do it went I need to not think. If that even makes any sense."

"It does to me. So you going to join swim team then?"

"Yeah I kinda have too. You don't happen to know when try outs are do you? I forgot to ask when I talked to the swim coach my first day here."

" They are next Thursday. What are you trying out for?"

" Well I figured the only team I could JV."

"What if I told you that coach and the captains decide what team you are on based on skill level." Daniel said with the lazy smile on his face.

"I guess it will be up to coach then. I had better get back to my room I have plans with Nora. But it was nice talking to you again."

Once again Daniel reached out and grabbed her hand. He looked out over the pool and asked "Luce if you think that I am coming on to strong I can slow it down. I just like you a lot. I might be getting carried away."

"No I like the flowers." and before she could stop herself " they are the first ones a guy besides my dad has ever gave me." I can't believe that just came out of my mouth what is wrong with me. Why don't I just go and tell him I'm a virgin while I''m at it.

Daniel just sat there and smile for a moment watching her face get red. "Well I am glad they are special, and you liked them. What would you think of dinner tomorrow night? I know its Saturday and you probably have a party to go to but I thought we might go into town there is a great little Italian place. If you want?" Luce looked down into his intoxicating violet eyes.

"That sounds great and I'm sorry about earlier Hailey just said somethings and it got under my skin. Actually do you know Hailey?"

"That's what the girls name was who stormed out. She was on swim team last year. Oh. I get it now. I tried to reject her nicely but she didn't take it well. She actually quit swim team a couple days later. I knew she looked familiar I just didn't know why."

"Before I go I have one more question. Nora said that your parents are kinda rich, is that true?" Daniel smile instantly dropped and Luce knew she had said the wrong thing. But he was still holding her hand, so maybe it wasn't that bad. But every second he didn't answer made Luce nervous.

"Yep they are. And yes that means I am too. I'm what they like to call a trust fund baby." Again neither of them said a thing. Luce sat back down and looked at Daniel who was still looking at the water. She took her hand from his and lifted his head so they were looking at each other.

"Not that it matters I was just curious. Especially since those two dozen peonies couldn't have been cheep and then dinner I just wanted to know." She looked him straight in his eyes "It really doesn't matter to me. I swear. " His smile came back and he pulled into his arms. He was so warm and Luce loved being locked in them. It felt my like home than she had felt since her parents left almost two weeks ago. Still holding her he whispered into her ear"Can I walk you to your room?"

"Please." Was all that would come out of Luce mouth. They walked to the locker rooms and met back up out side. Walking hand in hand across campus.


End file.
